[Alex_]

Hey everybody,

I have a large sprawling squash plant. If i pinch out the ends of the vine will it stop advancing and still produce or will it irrevocably damage the plant?

[macgro7]

You could pinch it but I just let them grow - btw you can eat the leaves - in Africa they used pumpkin leaves for cooking just like spinach.

[Terry T]

If you pinch out the tips it will produce side branches and continue to grow in this way. It may affect flowering and fruiting time.

[Fleecewife]

Geoff Hamilton used to take a spade to the longer stems at the point he wanted to stop them, but I think he did it once there were several fruit set.  I grow trailing squash up ropes and along the crop bars in the polytunnel, so I only stop the side branches after each has a growing fruit.

[oor wullie]

I grow mine as a single stem up and along crop bars in a polytunnel.

I pinch out the side shoots as they start and the growing tip once its at the other side of the tunnel and enough fruit is set.

I don't know if this is the best way to grow them but it stops them taking over.

[Alex_]

Thanks for the advice. No fruit set yet so i will leave them be.